Shopsmith Mark 5

**Paul39** · 20th June 2014, 11:32 AM

This is either a tool or boat anchor gloat.

I was in my local den of iniquity last Saturday for a clean out sale. I managed to find $90 of good stuff at 1/2 or more off.

They had two used Shopsmiths with a bin full of accessories, for $150 each. I touched one and the manager said I could have it for $125. The owner came around and told me how wonderful a horizontal boring machine they made.

I went home and did some research about Shopsmith and was not impressed.

I checked my email Monday morning and the manager wrote that if I wanted the Shopsmiths, I could have them free, but I had to take them both. I took them to pieces and brought them home.

One works fine, the other was squeaking and dragging when I turned it on and when I changed speeds it stalled. There are two table saw, drill press, horizontal boring, set ups, and one 12 inch disk sander and lathe set up.

As a lathe is swings 16 1/2 inches X 34 inches. The spindle is a plain 5/8 inch shaft with a flat for a 1/4 inch set screw. The 10 inch saw blade and 12 inch disk sander mandrels fit on that. There is evidence on the round tube bed where the saw blade came off while running.

I might make a bowl bottom finishing lathe from one, using a face plate and 16 inch piece of plywood.

Does anyone use one? Does it make a decent lathe? No way will make a bowl on one. I do not need a mouthful of 16 inch bowl blank.

I could see it being used to make segmented pieces with the saw and sander, if it is accurate enough.

Photos: http://www.shopsmith.com/markvsite/i...kVGlamour6.gif

http://www.songofthegreatlakes.com/pics/ss/ssmarkv1.jpg

**DaveTTC** · 20th June 2014, 12:03 PM

I have a 10er I am fixing. It is 1948 - 53 model. They are not brilliant but I like it as something old and different. I would like to fix it into a better machine.

If you want to get rid of either one I would be interested as I am trying to collect all sorts of lathes to have a working museum of lathes and other wood working machinery

Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

**NCArcher** · 20th June 2014, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by DaveTTC

If you want to get rid of either one I would be interested as I am trying to collect all sorts of lathes to have a working museum of lathes and other wood working machinery

Dave, you may need to check Paul's location before you set off to pick up the spare.

**DaveTTC** · 20th June 2014, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by NCArcher

Dave, you may need to check Paul's location before you set off to pick up the spare.

Oh (expletive)

Next time. Thanks for the heads up NC

Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

**Sir Stinkalot** · 20th June 2014, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Paul39

Does anyone use one? Does it make a decent lathe?

I have one but I wouldn't consider it to be a decent lathe. I use mine quite a lot for other tasks as it is a flexible machine. I notice this is posted in the wood turning section but I use mine mostly as a disk sander, drill press (vertical and horizontal) and as a drum sander. Sometimes I use the 4" jointer attachment if I am doing small pieces and don't want to use the standalone 12". I was never overly impressed with it as a table saw or as a lathe and now have dedicated machines for each of these tasks.

If all you are into is turning then they may well be a waste of space. If you are into a bit of everything they offer a good flexible machine but still not as good as the individual standalone machines for each task. I have found as I have developed it has allowed me to do tasks I may not have otherwise been able to do as I didn't have the standalone machine, but now I am slowly building up the standalone tools that will replace the Shopsmith eventually.

**Tim Creeper** · 23rd June 2014, 11:36 AM

I use mine quite a lot for other tasks as it is a flexible machine. I notice this is posted in the wood turning section but I use mine mostly as a disk sander, drill press (vertical and horizontal) and as a drum sander. Sometimes I use the 4" jointer attachment if I am doing small pieces and don't want to use the standalone 12". I was never overly impressed with it as a table saw or as a lathe and now have dedicated machines for each of these tasks.

[/QUOTE]

Im with you sir stinkalot, I bought one 30 years ago as a young handi man. Loved it to peices though. I always wished It had a 12 saw but soon realized it would just never handle it. I'v had the motor rewound twice and at the moment she's in the shed burn't out again. Might put a two horce motor in and keep it as a Drill press sander etc. (just bought a Symtec Pattern lathe I think a bargin for 700

). Oh and had to replace the shaft drive belt twice aswell. It needs to be noted that the motor is haled as a 2 horse but my motor rewinder asures me it is only 11/4 horse. Evidently a filtright (Iseem to recall) pump motor In the US with 110 volt it's sposed to pul 2hp ?????

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